Tucked away in the industrial section near Honolulu International
Airport, this minuscule 15 seat gem serves some of the best
seafood I’ve ever tried, PERIOD! As the story goes, Craig Mitchell
started life in South Africa then traveled the world eventually
settling in Hawaii, getting married and started a family in the 50th
State. He started working at a seafood wholesale business which he
eventually purchased. Mom and Dad eventually followed him to
Hawaii and ran a poke shop right next to the seafood warehouse.
Unfortunately, Mom passed away several years ago and the poke
shop closed with her passing. However Douglas “Mitch” Mitchell
wasn’t ready for retirement so the family started Mitch’s Fish
Market & Sushi Bar in 2004 hiring chefs Hideo Matsui and
Masakazu Murakami to work the kitchen.
About the Size of Your Dining Room
That’s not an exaggeration; the dining area literally is about the
size of an average dining room with two tables for 4, one table for
2 and five barstools fronting the sushi counter. Therefore
reservations are essential or expect to wait for quite a while if you
just want to drop in. Since it’s also located in the industrial
district, there’s not a lot of street parking to be found during the
workday hours – there are 2 to 3 spaces right in front of Mitch’s
but it’s often used for the wholesale vehicles. Hard to find parking,
not very many seats, “why should I try this place”? Well, it’s simply
to sample some of the BEST seafood, PERIOD!
The Ultimate Sampler
We decided to try Mitch’s Special Course ($85 per person with 2
person minimum) that included an appetizer, assorted sashimi,
assorted nigiri sushi, grilled course and their special miso soup.
Our meal started with three slices of steamed abalone shipped from
Tasmania served with a simple soy based sauce. Very tender with
just a hint of sweetness. Since Mitch’s is a BYO establishment, I
brought a bottle of Watari Bune Yuki no Bosha sake. Made from
Watari Bune rice which almost disappeared due to its fragility,
Watari Bune is a true heirloom variety of rice which claims Yamada
Nishiki as one of its descendants. With ripe melon, papaya and
lime on the nose with a pleasant viscosity on the palate and layers
of flavor sensations and a touch of sweetness, it was the perfect
foil to the rich seafood.
The assorted sashimi platter is pictured and included New Zealand
spiny lobster, Tasmanian abalone, chuu toro, hamachi, hagi, Japan
scallops and wild New Zealand salmon. Just this platter alone
would have made the meal! The salmon was the BEST salmon
sashimi I’ve ever had and mind you, I’ve had my fair share of
salmon through the years including wild Copper River salmon. In
fact, the only salmon I haven’t tried is the legendary toki shirazu
from Japan though I can’t imagine any other salmon better than
this. Like salmon flavored “buttah”. The scallops were sweet and
moist and perfect with the sake while the hamachi was another fish
flavored “buttah”. It had a firm texture which I never had before.
Even if good hamachi in Hawaii is very flavorful, the texture can
sometimes border of mushy. Mitch’s hamachi was very firm yet
very flavorful.
The hagi (filefish) was a new flavor and textural sensation for the
Mrs. Though it was a white meat fish, it didn’t have the “crunchy”
texture of fresh tai (which the Mrs doesn’t care for). Finally, the
abalone and spiny lobster were as fresh as fresh gets. Our server
showed us the specimens right after they were pulled from the tank
(which was the only downside for the Mrs – she doesn’t want to
make “eye’ contact with any food that she’s about to consume).
Firm, sweet and flavorful was the lobster and firm and slightly
sweet was the abalone. They also provide freshly grated wasabi with
the sashimi which is leagues apart from tubed powdered wasabi –
slightly sweet and none of that nasal piercing spiciness. Just a nice
sharp contrast to rich seafood. The only downside for yours truly
is that the Mrs now wants me to go free diving again to catch local
spiny lobster. She said that now that she’s had it as sashimi, she can’
t go back to cooked lobster anymore.
Sushi to Go
Just when I thought it couldn’t get any better with the sashimi
platter, the assorted sushi platter took the taste buds to new
heights. We actually had a grilled appetizer between the sashimi
and sushi courses – Van Van which was a grilled shrimp, salmon
and avocado rolled in white fish and broiled with a mayonnaise
and sour cream topping. Also very good though I don’t want to
elaborate on it since I forgot to take a photo of it. Gomenasai!
We started the sushi with the ikura or salmon roe, plump slightly
salty eggs that popped in your mouth but with none of the
“fishiness” that sometimes is present in not-so-fresh ikura. The uni
was a first for the Mrs and myself, we normally pass on uni since
cheaper version can be grainy and a bit fishy. Not this specimen,
like mixing a concentrated dashi with egg yolks and a bit of cream
– the consistency of creamy deviled eggs with the flavor of the sea.
Again perfect with the Watari Bune sake.
We progressed to the sayori or needlefish which was a special that
was in season. Slightly sweet white meat fish accented with grated
sweet ginger and negi. Delish! Then we progressed to the crème-de-
la-crème. The kampachi (a relative of hamachi) was so rich, it
made butter seem like margarine. Hawaii does farm raise Kona
Kampachi off the coast of Kona but since tropical waters aren’t
nearly as cold as the Japan Sea the farm raised specimens don’t
build fat reserves like the cold water specimens. The maguro from
Japan was as good as any tuna from Hawaii and the o-toro…
Words aren’t adequate to describe it. It looked like hamachi since
it was so white. It was like the richest tuna flavored “buttah” that I’
ve ever had. I’ve had several air flown Japan o-toro in Hawaii but
NOTHING could compare to this. Forget foie gras, caviar and the
rest! This would be my final meal… along with a glass of Watari
Bune.
Miso Shiru
Mitch’s does provide their miso shiru to all diners with the
difference being in plating (bowling). If you order the lobster
sashimi course, it comes with the chopped pieces of lobster body
parts in the soup, if not it comes with the head of a large shrimp.
Any way you’re a winner. The broth is prepared with lobster and
shrimp shells so the miso shiru is more like a Japanese lobster
bisque (sans cream) flavored with miso. I could get used to this
soup every morning with breakfast.
We also ordered the ankimo or monk fish liver since it was in
season (I couldn’t pass on the foie gras of the sea). Rich fish flavor
with no grittiness. And at risk of sounding like a broken record,
perfect with the Watari Bune sake.
Highly Recommended
If you enjoy sashimi or sushi and are visiting the 50th State, I
highly recommend a sojourn to Mitch’s Fish Market & Sushi Bar. It
is a little pricey but that’s the cost for probably some of the best
seafood you’ve ever tried. Along with the former First Lady of the
State, there was a diner who had a temporary layover in Hawaii
who cabbed it from the airport for lunch then cabbed it back. It is
that good.
Mitch’s Fish Market & Sushi Bar
524 Ohohia Street
Honolulu, Hawaii 96819
Monday ~ Saturday
11:30 a.m. ~ 8:30 p.m
Sunday - Closed
(808) 837-7774 or (808) 837-7775
